Suchergebnisse

During the Lebanese conflict, while men were engaged in war's games and intrigues , the Lebanese woman was proving her abilities and skills in different spheres of life. She was constantly repairing all that the war had blindly and heartlessly damaged.

On Sunday, May 25, 1997, Maitre Laure Moughaizel decided to bid us farewell, leaving us all in utter dismay and grief.

Ever since I was a child. I felt I was a stranger in the family. Why. I don't know. Ali i know is that I didn't feel comfortable. and at the age of ten I found myself running away from the house. Unfortunately. though, my parents always managed to find me and bring me back home."

Mai Masri was born in Amman, the daughter of a Palestinian father and an American mother, and she grew up in Beirut. Yet, she affirms that her sense ofidentity was very clear to her right from the beginning: "I feel Palestinian wherever I am."

An interview with Jean Said Makdisi, Professor of Humanities at LAU

Marriage was the subject of the third symposium of IWSAW's youth talking program, Tahtal MUhar ("Under the Microscope") which was held on May 20, 1997. The discussion was moderated by Ghena Ismail, IWSAW staffer; the guest-speakers were Dr. Ilham Kallab-Bsat, professor,

Fruitful action means one concentrated on a useful task, performed in a quiet atmosphere, free from noise and artificiality ... People absorbed in work, intent on thoroughness and creativity, find no time to ruminate on hatred and to contrive intrigues ... '"

One cannot tackle the issue of the family in Lebanon without referring to the women-headed households. According to the statistical survey of the populationand residence, conducted by the Ministry of Social Affairs and issued on October 14, 1996 , 14.2% of families in Lebanon are headed by women (i.e., 91 ,131 families). These women may be widows, divorcees, abandoned, or married to men who were kidnaped, worked abroad, or are sick and incapable of working. One common factor among these women, whatever the socio-economic background, is that they are in charge of their families by force of the situation.

Sahar Khalifeh was born to a conservative Palestinian family of eight girls and one boy. After the death of her two sisters in their childhood, she heard comments of relief among the women in the family that "the burden had eased." Khalifeh'sadolescence was a very critical and intense period.

Asma Khodr is a lawyer and the President of the Jordanian Woman's Union and a Member in the International Human Right, Committee. She had the honor of presiding over the Arab Women's Tribunal which was held in Beirut in June 1995.

Sociologists and psychologists ag ree that our society is in a transitory stage. Some people resist the idea of adapting to new ideas, out of fear that such ideas may threaten our customs and traditions. This transitory state inevitably affects family relationships. It is worth noting, however, that social change is not a peculiar experience, but rather, an ordinary everyday affair. But since the family is a sacred social institution, especially in our Arab societies, any change is usually subject to considerable res istance and questioning. This response definitely affects the relationship between young peo ple and their parents. In an attempt to se t a defined framework for this relationship, an age of consent (21) was established in the West. The issue is not as cl ear cut in our society, however.

Can you imagine punishing a person for having blue eyes instead of green ones, or for having a fair complexion instead of a dark one? Can you believe that we are living in a society which evaluates people according to their anatomical attributes?

Without any significant political, social or financial background, just a strong will and firm belief in her right and the right of other women to an active, dignifiedlife, Linda Matar made her way to the Presidency of the League of Lebanese Woman's Rights in 1978 and the leadership of the Lebanese Women's Council in 1996.

In cooperation with UNIFEM, the National Committee for Lebanese Women's Issues implemented nine workshops tareted at defining the national strategy and the future work agenda for the Lebanese woman. These workshops, which were held in the Center for Continuous Care on June 26 and 27, covered a wide variety of topics such as women and the law, media, environment, economics, health, Israeli occupation and imprisonment, violence, education, and the decision-makingprocess.

Laure Moughaizel Evaluates Lebanese Laws